Survey reveals Australian primary schools experience high numbers of low-progress readers.
You may have seen EducationHQ reported on the findings of a recent 2024 MultiLit survey which canvassed over 600 educators to understand how well Australian primary schools are meeting the needs of students requiring Tier 2 literacy intervention – that is, intensive small group support delivered outside the general classroom. Thank you to the many respondents who shared their valuable experiences with us.
Key findings:
- 78% of respondents from Australian primary schools say they have high numbers of low-progress readers in need of Tier 2 literacy intervention.
- 68% said their school isn’t adequately resourced to always provide timely intervention to every child that needs it.
- Resource constraints including budget, staffing and logistics were key barriers to providing intervention.
- 63% rated their school’s literacy strategy as Good or Excellent, despite high levels of intervention need and difficulty resourcing the small-group intervention sessions.
This news follows the latest NAPLAN results that showed one in three students are not meeting basic literacy and numeracy expectations.
The findings suggest that schools may not be aware their intervention load is considered high in the context of the Response to Intervention (RtI) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) frameworks, which state that less than 20% should require Tier 2 intervention when quality whole-class (Tier 1) evidence-based instruction is in place.
A major study by AERO also revealed that fewer than 1 in 5 children who are behind in literacy in Year 3 catch up and stay caught up throughout their schooling. This, along with the survey findings, highlights the importance of focusing on whole-class instruction. The Tier 1 approach should include assessment and differentiation practices that aim to proactively catch struggling students early and keep their learning on track by providing timely, targeted support in the general classroom. Reduced Tier 2 intervention needs in turn reduce strain on schools’ resources, equipping them to better meet the needs of children who still need intensive support.
Learn how your school could reduce literacy intervention needs
Interested in learning more about implementing effective, impactful whole-class instruction and how your school could reduce Tier 2 intervention needs? Discover InitiaLit for whole-class Tier 1 instruction.